Whispered Hollows
by Ellisguy
Summary: Kaname and Sousuke go to Karakura Town for a summer beach trip. Little did they know what they would find when they bump into the Shinigami Women's Society. Hollows and Arm Slaves at the beach!
1. First Contact with the Enemy

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bleach or Full Metal Panic. The characters and concepts belong to persons far wealthier than I, so there is no purpose in seeking any restitution for this work. I don't receive any money for this, so I must be crazy. Good luck getting any money from a crazy poor man.**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Although this is a Full Metal Panic/Bleach crossover, it will be taken mostly from the FMP side. FMP fans may enjoy it, but I'm hoping Bleach fans will get enough out of it to keep reading especially through the second and third chapters, because those will be pretty much FMP oriented. The real crossover should happen in the fourth chapter. The setting is Karakura Town about a year and a half after the Winter War, and it is supposed to coincide to the summer after The Second Raid.

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**First Contact with the Enemy**

It was a summer's day in Karakura Town, a city to the south of Tokyo, and in a small boutique near the shopping district, a young couple were looking at swimsuits. Actually, the young woman with long dark hair that was conspicuously tied back with a red bow was looking at swimsuits. Her companion, a shaggy brown-haired teenager, however, was suspiciously looking around the nearly empty shop. Out of the corner of the young woman's eye she could see her companion's anxious behavior. Annoyed, she turned to him and grabbed his wrist.

"Sousuke! Relax!" she whispered fervently. "I don't think anyone is going to try to attack me here."

"Kaname, this is a disadvantageous position," Sousuke whispered back. "There are only two exits that face each other, and one is blocked by the store counter."

Grabbing the young man's chin and forcing him to look at her, Kaname all but shouted, "No! You are not doing this to me again. We're on vacation, so we're going to have some fun and not think about anyone trying to attack me! Got it?"

Seeing the fervor in Kaname's eyes made Sousuke back down, and he said, "I understand. I'm sorry, I will try not to interfere with your recreation this time."

After giving him a small smile, Kaname turned back to the rack of swimsuits, saying, "That's better."

"I just don't understand why we couldn't have gone to Merida Island for your vacation," Sousuke continued.

"What, and stay on a military base for a week? No thank you! Plus, I don't want to go anywhere that Tessa can pop up without notice. You know she still hasn't given up on you. Yep, Japan is just fine with me, and besides I hear that they have some good beaches here in Karakura Town."

"But Kaname, why are we here looking for a new swimsuit? I know that you have a few already."

"Sousuke, this is all part of the beach trip: looking good in a _new_ swimsuit," Kaname replied as she held up a particularly revealing two-piece. Sousuke blushed and stiffened at her choice. "What do think about this one?"

At that moment, the door to the shop opened and a large group of women shuffled in lead by a rather top-heavy strawberry-blond who made no effort to hide her available cleavage. The woman smiled and winked at Sousuke and Kaname before turning back to her assembled group, saying, "Alright ladies, we know why we're here. Now, let's find some sexy swimsuits."

"But why do we have to find new ones?" asked a particularly dowdy black-haired bespectacled woman in the group. "Most of us still have the ones from last year."

"Part of going to the beach is looking great in a _new_ swimsuit," the strawberry-blond huffed in reply. At this exchange, Kaname sent a knowing look towards Sousuke who nodded in acquiescence. Then as the group of women started to fan out over the shop, their apparent leader turned back to the younger couple.

"That's a cute one," she said to Kaname. "Did you see any more like it?"

"Yeah, I did. Right here on the rack," Kaname replied pointing to the rack behind her. Then as the dark haired young woman appraised the apparently older one, she suggested, "But you may want to find a different size. This one looks a little small."

"I think it's the perfect size, don't you?" the woman said as she sent a saucy wink to Sousuke. The young man flushed and babbled. Likewise, Kaname also felt the heat rising in her cheeks, albeit for a different reason.

"Take this to the counter for me, Sousuke," Kaname ordered as she thrust the hanging swimsuit into the young man's chest while glaring at the other woman.

"Yes, Kaname, right away," Sousuke replied rigidly before grabbing the swimsuit and walking briskly to the store counter.

The older woman watched Sousuke's retreating form with a smirk. Then she casually walked around Kaname to the rack behind her, all the while ignoring Kaname's heated glare. After browsing through some of the swimsuits, the older woman said in a low tone without looking up, "You should stop glaring, little one. It would be a shame for such a pretty face to stick that way. I'm not sure your boyfriend would like it."

Kaname's eyes widened as she gasped, "What?"

"You're surprised?" the older woman asked turning her head over her shoulder. "Do you not know that you're pretty?"

"No, it's not that," Kaname sighed. "I'm just not used to people calling him my boyfriend."

Turning around now, the older woman asked, "Why? It's obvious that he cares for you."

"How could you know that?" Kaname asked. "You only spoke with him for a moment!"

"Because, little one, most boys his age can't resist these," the older woman said as she casually pressed her breasts together with her arms. "Since he didn't fight you when you told him to go to the counter, it means that he cares much more about you than a woman with bigger boobs."

Kaname looked towards the store counter and saw Sousuke standing behind another woman with mostly short hair and two long braids covered in cloth. Unfortunately, another much tanned woman was trying to talk the first one out of her choice and into something more modest, and this was stalling things at the counter.

"Does it surprise you to hear that he cares for you?" The woman asked.

"No," Kaname answered as she bowed her head and closed her eyes pensively. "I know that he cares for me. It's just that he has a hard time saying it, and he also has a habit of making a mess of things."

"I know a couple of boys his age who are like that," The woman said. "They try to be tough because they think that's what they need to do to be a man. They just end up being more awkward instead. Try not to worry about it."

Kaname looked back at the woman and said accusingly, "Still, you have some nerve flirting with my boyfriend right in front of me. Have you no shame?"

"Forgive me, I meant no harm," the woman said as she turned back to the rack of swimsuits and started looking through them again. "Our society only comes to Karakura Town once a year, and I was just trying to have some fun. I simply love watching the flustered looks on young boys when I flirt with them."

"Wait! What do you mean 'your _society'_?" Kaname asked.

The woman replied over her shoulder. "We're all part of an exclusive women's society from the north. This our summer trip to Karakura Town."

"Oh, so you'll be on the beach tomorrow," Kaname said apprehensively.

"You needn't worry, little one," the woman said as she apparently picked out a swimsuit for herself. "We like to keep our parties private, so we've rented a spot to the south just for us. You probably won't see us."

"Oh, okay!" Kaname tried to say not too happily.

The older woman then turned around to face Kaname again with swimsuit in hand.

"Anyway, my name is Rangiku Matsumoto, and I am sorry if I caused you any discomfort," she said bowing.

"Oh please, don't apologize!" Kaname said crossing her arms nervously in front of her. "It was all just a misunderstanding. I'm Kaname Chidori and I just hope you enjoy stay at the beach."

Looking up, Rangiku now saw Sousuke returning from the store counter with a small bag obviously carrying Kaname's new swimsuit. He definitely looked apprehensive as he saw the two women still standing close to one another. Looking back to Kaname, Rangiku said, "Still, I must warn you, if you let him wander off, I may just try to take him for myself."

With a final saucy wink to Sousuke, the older woman walked past him and joined a few of her other society members at the store counter. Sousuke watched her walk by before looking back at Kaname. He saw the younger woman was smirking at him, and he asked, "Is everything all right Kaname? Did I create another problem? If so, please tell me how I can correct it."

Kaname's smirk grew into a smile, and she suddenly wrapped herself around Sousuke's right arm, saying, "No, Sousuke! You were perfect, and you did it by just being yourself."

"Uh, okay!" A very confused Sousuke replied.

"Come on, let's get back to the hotel," Kaname said as she eagerly drug the brown haired young man out of the store. As they turned down the street, they walked arm in arm with Kaname leaning very heavily against Sousuke. A moment later, however, that they came upon two teenage-looking girls, one with long strawberry-blonde hair and quite voluptuous, and the other with shorter black hair and a serene beauty.

"Excuse us," the black-haired girl said. "Did you see a group of women around here?"

"Yes we did," Sousuke answered. "They all appear to be buying swimsuits in the boutique behind us. If you hurry, you may be able to catch up with them."

"Thank you very much," The black-haired girl said with a bow before both she and her companion ran past. As they passed, however, Kaname felt a wave of thoughts enter her mind. These were thoughts that she knew were not hers, and it caused her to grip Sousuke's arm more tightly. Feeling Kaname's tightened grip, Sousuke looked down at her. He saw beads of sweat forming on her forehead and that she was painfully gritting her teeth.

"Kaname, what's wrong?" Sousuke asked.

Through her gritted teeth, Kaname replied, "I think . . . I think one of them . . . is a Whispered."

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	2. Arrival in Karakura Town

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bleach or Full Metal Panic. Those that have the rights to these franchises are far richer than I, so it would be foolish to try to sue me. After all, I'm not getting any money from this. They should be happy with the free publicity. **

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I originally planned for this story to be primarily from the Full Metal Panic side, but after much contemplation, I decided there was room to develop more of a story on the Bleach side as well. Consequently, this will now be more like a tennis match with alternating chapters dedicated to either FMP or Bleach. Things will finally merge around chapter 8.**

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Arrival in Karakura Town

Rukia Kuchiki was running through the streets of Karakura Town nearing her friend's, Orihime Inoue's, apartment. She was concerned for her friend since they had agreed to meet up at Urahara's shop with the arrival of the other members of the Shinigami Women's Society, but the orange-brown haired teenager had failed to show. It was very concerning, because Urahara had seen Orihime the day before with Uryu, Chad and Ichigo, and he said that she had been looking forward to the Society's annual visit. Since leaving Urahara's shop, Rukia's concern for her friend had only grown. She had attempted to call Orihime twice along the way to the apartment, but there was no answer. Yet, as Rukia approached her apartment, she could feel Orihime's reiatsu emanating from it. It was clear that Orihime was at home, but she was simply not responding to Rukia's calls. Rukia, however, remained undaunted as she took the stairs up to Orihime's door.

"Orihime!" Rukia shouted as she knocked loudly on the other woman's apartment door. "Orihime, it's Rukia! I know you're in there. Please, open the door!"

Apparently, Rukia's sudden onslaught was effective since she heard door unlock a moment later. Rukia backed away as the door slowly opened and revealed a very morose looking Orihime. Though, it was about midday, it appeared that the orange-brown haired girl had just risen. Her hair looked messy and unwashed, and she still was dressed in her pajamas. Orihime's eyes did not meet Rukia's and she did not say anything. She simply stood in the doorway leaning against the frame while her other hand remained on the knob of the door.

"Orihime, what's wrong? Why didn't you meet us at the shop like we had planned?" Rukia asked.

Without looking up, Orihime answered in a hoarse voice, "I'm not going."

"Not going?" Rukia echoed. "Impossible, we need you."

"No you don't," Orihime replied with a listless shake of her head, but still not meeting the dark-haired shinigami's gaze. "Matsumoto-kun has all of my recipes and Ishida-kun knows how to cook them. Sado-kun has already bought the food, and the beach and hotel rooms have already been rented. I don't need to be there."

Rukia could see tears welling in Orihime's eyes, so she asked again, "Orihime what's wrong? Why don't you want to come with us? Urahara said that you wanted to come yesterday, so what happened?

"Nothing happened," Orihime replied and Rukia thought that she heard the teenager's voice almost crack.

"Something has happened," Rukia countered. "Why don't you want to be with your friends, like Uryuu, Chad, Ichigo-"

At the mention of the substitute-shinigami's name, Rukia heard Orihime gasp and saw her eyes involuntarily widen then narrow. This caused the tears that had been welling in the teenage girl's eyes to spill over. Seeing this, Rukia now had a guess as to where the problem lay, and she asked, "Did something happen between you and Ichigo?"

Orihime shook her head in response, but that only caused more tears to spill traitorously down her face. Now feeling a little frustrated at Orihime's obstinance, Rukia exasperatedly said, "Orihime, I'm your friend, and I'm here to help you, but I can't do that until you tell me what's wrong."

Finally, Orihime looked into Rukia's determined eyes. It was clear to her that the diminutive shinigami was not going to leave until she received a satisfactory answer. Sighing, Orihime stepped to the side of the doorway and said, "Come inside, Rukia-kun."

A few minutes later, Rukia and Orihime were sitting inside the apartment having some freshly made tea. Rukia looked around and noticed that the normally well-kept apartment was in disarray. The dishes from the previous evening were still in the sink. Orihime's clothes from the day before were scattered haphazardly around the room. Lastly, her futon was still lying in the middle of the floor unfolded. It was clear to Rukia that, despite Orihime's earlier claim to the contrary, her current listless behavior had manifested the day before due to something between the teenager and the substitute-shinigami.

Both women continued to sit in silence sipping their tea. Rukia had resisted initiating conversation since entering the apartment in the hopes that the break would give time for Orihime to mend her fragile state. It appeared to have worked as the tears had stopped falling from the teenager's eyes, her breathing had become more relaxed, and her overall appearance seemed less guarded. Noticing this, Rukia tentatively asked, "Can you tell me what happened after you left Urahara's shop yesterday?"

Orihime had just finished taking a sip of her tea when she set her cup down and said, "Nothing happened, really. Ishida-kun and Sado-kun went their way home, and Kurosaki-kun walked with me since he lives nearby. While we walked, I told Kurosaki-kun about what I planned to cook for the trip, and how I hoped to win the sand castle competition this year."

Orihime paused to take a deep shuddering breath and then looked at Rukia hesitantly. Rukia nodded encouragingly for Orihime to continue. Looking back at her cup, Orihime said, "I then asked Kurosaki-kun if he thought there would be watermelon hollows again this year, and he said he thought so. That is when I asked Kurosaki-kun if he would protect me if I was attacked by one of them."

Orihime's voice noticeably cracked as she said the last few words and tears began to once again stream down her face. She futilely attempted to stem their flow, but it was impossible as they just kept coming. Surprised by Orihime's reaction, Rukia sought to encourage the young woman by saying forcefully, "Of course he would! You're his friend!"

Orihime's breath hitched for a moment, and then she wailed, "That's what he said!"

Orihime then lunged at Rukia, burying her face in the small woman's chest and wrapping her arms around the shinigami. Rukia sat there silently with wide eyes as Orihime sobbed pitifully into her chest. Slowly, the black-haired woman brought her arms around the teenager's body and began to gently rub comforting circles into her back. Although an ostensible effort to comfort Orihime, Rukia's actions were also an attempt to buy time as the black-haired shinigami tried to contemplate how her words of encouragement had led to this complete meltdown.

"Oh Rukia," Orihime tearfully blubbered, breaking Rukia out of her thoughts. "I try to be happy for him, but every time I come home, I just want to cry. He never sees the way I feel about him."

Rukia cocked her head to the side in curiosity, and then asked, "The way you feel about him?"

Orihime turned her head so that the left side of her face now pressed against Rukia's chest. Taking a deep breath and gripping Rukia's dress tightly, Orihime confessed, "I'm in love with him."

Rukia blinked. "In love with Ichigo? How long have you been in love with him?"

Sighing, Orihime straightened up. Then, as she wiped her eyes, she said, "I know that I have always liked Kurosaki-kun, ever since we first met. I knew that he was a kind person by the way he comforted me after Sora died. And then he would always try to protect other students from bullies, even if it meant fighting. Then he became a shinigami and started protecting us from hollows. I don't know when, but liking him turned into loving him. I just know that I was in love with him before I went to Hueco Mundo."

"That long!" Rukia gasped. "I'm sorry I never noticed."

"Sometimes you and Kurosaki-kun can be so alike," Orihime said as she hung her head and heaved another sigh. Then she muttered under her breath, "I wonder how Abarai-kun keeps his patience."

Unfortunately for Orihime, Rukia's keen hearing picked up on her mutterings, and Rukia suddenly asked, "Renji? What does he have to do with this?"

On hearing Rukia's question, Orihime gasped and spun back to face the small shinigami while reflexively covering her mouth with both hands. From the teenager's wide-eyed expression, it was evident that she had just said something that she had not intended for Rukia to hear. Ever the perceptive shinigami, Rukia studied Orihime's reaction and allowed her own reasoning to take over.

"You're in love with Ichigo, but he doesn't notice," Rukia stated aloud. Orihime remained frozen in silence. Regardless, Rukia continued her reasoning, saying, "I'm like Ichigo, because . . . I . . ., Renji . . ."

Now it was Rukia's turn to gasp and reflexively cover her mouth and stare at Orihime with wide eyes. For a few moments both women shared the same expression in silence. Then Orihime dropped her hands and reached for Rukia in a comforting gesture, saying, "He's never said anything to me, really. I just know that he's always tried to protect you no matter what. He even learned to use his bankai just so he could free you while you were imprisoned. And lately, I've seen him with a little chappy on his cell phone. I can't be certain, but I think it's because of you."

Rukia, however, did not respond. Instead, she squinted her eyes in a gleeful fashion. Then Orihime noticed an unusual sound coming from the black-haired woman. After a moment, Orihime realized what it was. Rukia Kuchiki, proud adoptive member of the noble Kuchiki Clan, sister to the head of the Clan, Byakuya Kuchiki's personal pride, esteemed seated member of the 13th Gotei Division, and battle-hardened veteran of numerous Soul Society conflicts . . . was giggling. Giggling like a little grade-school girl. Giggling like a little grade-school girl who had just learned of her first crush.

Orihime watched in astonishment as Rukia turned to the table and started striking it with her fist, crying, "Baka! Baka! Baka!"

Pausing for breath, Rukia then asked somewhat rhetorically, "Why hasn't the idiot said anything?"

"I suppose it's because he wasn't sure if you felt the same way," Orihime offered hopefully.

"That's ridiculous, we've been friends for so long," Rukia replied. Unnoticed by the shinigami, Orihime, who had been edging closer, now began to edge away.

"Being friends for so long, it's possible he thought that things wouldn't change," Orihime said, morose once again.

Hearing the young teenager's tone, Rukia turned back to Orihime to see her staring miserably at her cup once again. Apparently understanding Orihime's problem now, Rukia gripped the young girl's shoulder causing Orihime to look back. Once their eyes met, Rukia declared in a determined voice, "Things won't change unless you make them. If Ichigo doesn't notice your love for him, then you make him notice. If he doesn't look at you, then you force his eyes on you. If he still doesn't understand, then you hold him until you confess your love with all your might!"

By the end of her speech, Rukia's voice had crescendoed and the shinigami was waving her fist in a powerful gesture. Orihime had completely forgotten her morose feelings and was staring at Rukia in wide-eyed shock. After blinking a couple of times, Orihime weakly stammered, "B-but how do I get Kurosaki to notice me?"

Now Rukia's expression turned from one of powerful determination to one of cold calculation in an almost terrifying progression. Orihime would have sworn she saw a gleam in the female shinigami's eyes as the black-haired woman explained, "I will help you. I will join your team and we will be two against one."

"Two against one?" Orihime asked very confused.

"Yes," Rukia replied with a smirk. "I will make Renji notice me, and you will do the same to make Ichigo notice you."

Still confused, Orihime shook her head and asked, "Rukia-kun, how will doing the same as you help Ichigo notice me?"

"Since we know that Renji is already in love with me, he should give in quickly," Rukia surmised. "All we need is for you to be with Ichigo when it happens. If you're with him when Ichigo sees it, then he will understand your feelings too."

"Rukia-kun, do you really think it will work?" Orihime asked.

"We will only know if we try," Rukia replied as she grabbed Orihime by the wrist. "Let's go. If we hurry, we can meet the others while they're still buying their swimsuits."

After a moment's thought, Orihime nodded in agreement. Then both women quickly trotted off to the bathroom. It was later, in another part of Karakura Town, that Rukia and a much fresher looking Orihime rounded a corner near the swimsuit boutique. Unsure if they had made it in time, Orihime asked, "Do you still think they are still there?"

Spotting a teenage couple carrying a bag that appeared to be from the shop, Rukia pointed and replied, "We'll know if we ask them."

Rukia stepped forward, towards the man with shaggy brown hair and an unusual scar on his left jaw, asking him, "Excuse us, did you see a group of women around here?"

As his girlfriend with long dark hair conspicuously tied in a large red bow leaned happily against him, the teenage man replied helpfully, "Yes we did. They all appear to be buying swimsuits in the shop behind us. If you hurry, you may be able to catch up with them."

"Thank you very much," Rukia said, bowing. Then Rukia took hold of Orihime's wrist and the two of them ran past the couple towards the shop. As Orihime passed the couple, however, a brief but strange sensation filled her. It was almost as if for the briefest of moments, she was inside the other girl's head. Feeling Rukia's insistent tug on her wrist, though, Orihime simply shook her head and discounted the feeling as nerves as they entered the shop.

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**Author's Note #2:** For those who may not understand the importance of the "two against one" reference, in the early part of the Bleach series Orihime was trying to become friends with Rukia and she explained that she wanted this to happen, because, in her mind, it would then the two of them against Ichigo. At the time, the explanation was used to characterize Orihime's sense of logic. By using the inference in this way, I'm attempting to put some actual logic behind the earlier statement.

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	3. Intelligence Reports

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bleach or Full Metal Panic. Those that have the rights to these franchises are far richer than I, so it would be foolish to try to sue me. After all, I'm not getting any money from this. They should be happy with the free publicity.**

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Intelligence Reports

The Tuatha de Danaan was making routine patrol in the South Pacific. Throughout the submarine the pervasive mood was routine and relaxed. AS maintenance was being performed in the Hanger deck, the galley was making preparations for the evening, and all off-duty personnel were either in their quarters or in the recreation center engaging in various pursuits. Up in the command center the mood appeared to be the same, for most. The only exception was the ship's commander, Teletha Testarossa.

Tessa, as her friends would call her, had been reading the latest intelligence updates in her command chair when she found a report from Sousuke Sagara. The fact that she had received a report from the sergeant was not unusual since his standing orders were to transmit weekly updates while assigned to protect Kaname Chidori. It was the contents of this most recent report that had set her on edge:

_Urzu-7 will be accompanying Kaname Chidori for sortie to Karakura Town. _

_Purpose for sortie: 1 week vacation._

Despite the terseness of the report, it was all that the teenaged captain needed to start visualizing possible scenarios between the young sergeant and her rival for his affections.

"Damn you, Kaname," Tessa thought quietly to herself. "This was all part of your plan, wasn't it? Instead of letting Sousuke come back to Merida Island like he normally does, you convinced him to stay in Japan. And after I had planned to surprise him at his favorite fishing spot. Do you know how hard it was to get a new bathing suit on to the base without anyone noticing?"

As she thought, unbidden images of Sousuke and Kaname together began to enter Tessa's mind, "I can see them now frolicking in the waves; Kaname running ahead of Sousuke, shamelessly teasing him in her new bathing suit. Then she might have him rub lotion on her back as an excuse to let him touch her. After that, they'll probably eat watermelon together like giddy little kids. Finally, as the sun is setting, she'll look passionately into his eyes and stroke the scar on his jaw. He'll probably stroke her chin then, and then they'll get closer and closer . . . and then . . . "

"STOOOOOPPPP!!!!" Tessa cried aloud.

"All stop!" Commander Mardukas repeated.

"Roger! All stop!" the helmsman dutifully answered.

Realizing what she had done, Tessa fumbled for an excuse for her outburst. Maybe, that thing she had seen in an old movie? Could it work? Well, it had to.

"H-Hard about! Full sensor sweep!" she ordered.

A moment later, her executive officer, repeated the order, "Hard about! Full sensor sweep!"

"Roger that, hard about!" the helmsman replied.

"Sensor sweep commencing!" the SONAR operator called out.

As the rest of the bridge crew executed their orders, Commander Mardukas bent down and quietly asked, "Captain is there a reason for this sudden action?"

"Oh, I thought in light of the Amalgam incident that it would be prudent to engage other countermeasures just in case any of our other technology had been compromised," Tessa replied hoping that he would buy it.

Commander Mardukas stood up again and looked thoughtful, as much as his stern features allowed. After what seemed like an agonizing minute to the younger captain, the Colonel said, "A random turn to clear our baffles. Excellent strategy Captain! Simple, but effective."

Tessa breathed a small sigh of relief that went unnoticed by her XO.

"Report!" Mardukas called out.

"No sensor contacts, the area is clear!" the SONAR operator reported.

"Very well," Tessa said. "Resume original heading and speed."

"Original heading and speed!" Mardukas repeated.

"Original heading and speed, aye ma'am!" the helmsman replied. Now Tessa knew this recent calamity was behind her. Still she couldn't help but think about the young brown-haired AS pilot that was partly to blame for it. Looking again at Sousuke's recent report, she gripped it fiercely as the desire to give him a piece of her mind filled Tessa's being. Oh, what she wouldn't have given right then to lay into him right there about how inconsiderate of her feelings he had been. If only for the briefest of opportunities.

"Incoming transmission!" the communications operator reported. "Captain, I have Urzu-7 on the line requesting to speak directly to you."

To say that Tessa was surprised would have been an understatement. In spite of her surprise, the young Captain managed to maintain her composure and said, "Very well, put him through."

After a pause, the communications officer said, "Uh, Captain, he's requesting yours and Commander Mardukas' ears only."

Tessa and Mardukas exchanged a look of concern before they moved from the command chair over to the communications station. Both of them were well aware that such a request could only mean information of the highest sensitivity was about to be relayed. Tessa relieved the communications operator from her seat as Mardukas stood beside her using the spare headset.

"This is Command actual," Tessa said into her headset. "Mardukas is listening in. Go ahead Urzu-7."

"Command, a light in the forest. I repeat, _a light in the forest_!" Sousuke's voice crackled over the radio. Tessa recognized immediately the code for a new Whispered contact. A shiver went down her spine.

"Do you have the subject under surveillance?" Tessa asked.

"Negative, broke contact," Sousuke replied.

"Why did you break contact with the subject, Urzu-7?" Commander Mardukas asked harshly.

"Sir, I broke contact to ensure security of Whiskey Alpha," Sousuke replied. Both Mardukas and Tessa knew that this meant Kaname Chidori.

"Were you on station with Whiskey Alpha at time of contact, Urzu-7?" Tessa asked.

"Affirmative, Command."

"Very well, Urzu-7. Do you believe contact with the subject can be re-established?" Tessa then asked

"Affirmative, Command. I have a location and an approximate time when the subject will be on station. Request additional units for reconnaissance detail," Sousuke said.

"Request granted," Tessa replied.

"Urzu-7," Mardukas interrupted causing Tessa to look at her executive officer with concern, "how did you detect the subject?"

There was a noticeable pause before Sousuke answered, "Urzu-7 did not detect the subject, Whiskey Alpha did."

Tessa saw the puzzled look on Mardukas's face and held her breath as he asked his next question, "Urzu-7, how did _Whiskey Alpha_ detect the subject."

After what seemed like an eternity to the young Captain, Sousuke replied over the radio, "Whiskey Alpha declines to answer."

"Urzu-7, . . ."

"Urzu-7, remain on station and expect arrival of Urzu-2, Urzu-6, and Command Actual," Tessa interrupted quickly. Mardukas turned to her in shock, but she only returned a hard glare.

"Uh, Command?" Sousuke questioned.

"Did you misunderstand my order?" Tessa forcefully asked as she continued to glare at Mardukas.

"N-no, ma'am," Sousuke replied. "What is your ETA?

Looking at the main monitor which was currently displaying the Tuatha de Danaan's global position and patrol route, Tessa quickly calculated the time it would take for her and the rest of the team to arrive at Sousuke's location. Turning back to the radio console, Tessa replied, "Expect rendezvous in 14 hours."

"Roger, expect rendezvous in 14 hours. Urzu-7 out."

As she returned the headset to the communications officer and stood up, Tessa said to Mardukas, "Make course and best possible speed back to base. I want to see Mao and Weber in my quarters immediately. Also, notify me when we are within range of helicopter transport to the base."

Mardukas followed Tessa out of the command center and waited for the hatch to close behind him, before asking, "Captain, I assume that you are serious about participating in this operation?"

"I am," Tessa replied. "Do you intend to challenge my decision?"

"Begging the Captain's pardon, but I just don't see the need for you to go along," Mardukas replied. "You are far too important to this ship and this command, and it is likely that Mao and Weber can sufficiently support Sagara in this reconnaissance."

"You forget, Commander, that this is an unknown Whispered," Tessa countered. "We do not know if they are aware of their abilities or if they pose a threat to Kaname Chidori. As the resident expert on all Whispered, I am the best qualified to make that determination, and no one else. I also fully expect you to be able to handle this ship and my command in my absence. Do you understand?"

Stiffening, Commander Mardukas said, "Of course, ma'am! I apologize for questioning your decision."

"Thank you, Commander," Tessa said evenly. "I'll give you my final orders when I depart."

"Aye, ma'am," Mardukas replied. "I'll see to it that Mao and Weber are sent to your quarters, and I'll have a transport readied in the meantime."

"Excellent," Tessa said, and with a mutual salute, the Captain and her executive officer parted ways in the corridor. The older man headed back to the command center and began issuing orders to prepare for their return back to base. Tessa headed back to her quarters with brisk strides, apparently anxious to prepare for this new mission. True, Mardukas's concerns were well founded, but the need for accurate intelligence was more important in this situation. Kaname was less skilled using her synchronicity as Tessa was, and being able to detect the other Whispered using it was key to the success of the mission. Two Whispered also would make this task less dangerous for all of those involved.

"At the very least," Tessa thought," this also may serve as a good outing for me. Who knows, I may get a chance to show off my new bathing suit to Sousuke after all."

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